A day at our countryside – May 27, 2018

On Sunday May 27, I posted a lot of pictures through the day on my Instragram (@autisticcountrygirl).
I promised to write a whole blog about how I felt that day, with a little delay …
Here it is!
Hope you all enjoy some countrylife of Belgium.

Normally I have to work every Sunday so I can’t never plan a thing on doing with my family like going to some events, special occassions, shops, festivals … I made the descission of working the greatest job in the world so you know you have to miss most of those things.

Most of those things are crowded, tooo many people on the same place, to much noices, to loud music etc. So in one way it’s better to stay a day at work helping others having a great day off.

Strawberry festival

On May 27 I got a free Sunday, without asking for it. On that day we had an Strawberry event here in my local area. Moving out soon, so time to do something here.

It was more of an information event about local products than for the strawberry itself. At 3PM there was a ‘world record Milkshake drink’ but there weren’t that much people to hit the goal of 2000 people (they had like 1200 people drinking at the same time).

The milkshake itself was just horrible. They said it was made with local milk and with some fresh strawberries. YEAH right, totally not made with fresh strawberries but with a powder. As the shake was seedless and very light pink. And it was sooooooooo sugary.

Sooo Sorry ‘ONS’ but this was not REAL strawberry ! 

The event took place in my old school, so it was nice to see it again. They did a great job in making the place look nice for the public and for visitors. I remember, from beeing a kid, that it was always forbitten to step on the place where we went. Or just sit on the old iron ‘attraction’.

It’s look sooo old, but just looked like I remembered. So it was 20 years ago in such bad condition as now. Just for information, it wasn’t a new one when I went to school there 😉

Look for yourself, but for me it still have something of a horrormovie seeing it (remembering how it looked when it was dark in winter).

Here’s the park when we weren’t allowed to step one foot on it, but now it’s open for public every single day. So some changes were good, because it’s so beautiful and quiet walking there.

And here are some pictures of my old school, almost sad to say nothing changed in those 20 years (well 21)

And here are some pictures of the other part of the park where they put a smal farm with apple trees

The ‘strawberry’ event was more like a market with local products

Well, it’s not wrong with all those other local products … BUT … when this #aspiegirl hears ‘strawberry festival’ she wants an explotion with strawberries. And not just one thing to taste horrible milkshake and another one to buy plane fresh strawberries. But more like pastries with strawberries, desserts, art, … just things WITH STRAWBERRY included. 

After we saw the whole market, drunk are ‘milkshake’, visit the event inside about World War 1 … it was time for a little ride with some Belgium Work horses ‘Belgisch trekpaard’. 

Here are some pictures first … story will follow below

Our ‘taxi’ has arrived … 2 beautiful horses 

Here are some pictures I took during the trip through ouw countryside. The ride took me to places I never seen before, while I live here for 33 years. How is that possible? It was a shocking moment, but now I found some beautiful spots here to go on a bike trip or walk. 

Oh and off course, no long trip without RODNEY ATKINS

Most places have bords with ‘deer’ crossing the street. Here on the countryside we have them with COWS crossing the street. So strange to always remember the big city of Louvain is only 10 minutes away from that place 😮 (and Brussels only 25 mins) and still you are in the countryside with ‘cows crossing the streets’. 

So here’s the story about that trip. I was expecting a short trip around the school and in the close neighbourghood. Well I was sooooooo wrong !

We left with the horses around 15.45PM at the school and the trip will be around 1,5 hours to be back.

It was an extreemly hot day, and than 1,5 hours on the road with horses. Well, sometimes you have to do the things your family wants to do and follow them.

The trip took us to a close local brewery, we had the opportuinity to get off and visit it but I refused and stayed on. So everybody followed me. I was not in the mood to visit a brewery and taste that beer, as I don’t drink beer.

After the 5 minute stop, to change some passengers, we went back on the roads … with the horses. Poooooooor horses, so hot and doing such hard work.

Next stop was another visit to a local farm, a PORK farm. The place was a place we knew so we didn’t went outside in the heat and risking not having a place back to the school. The stop took more than 20 minutes as the horses needed water and some rest. Who could blame them, in that heat ???

And then it was time for the last trip on the road with the horses to the school again.

We came back at 6PM, so we spend more than 2 hours riding those horses with the ‘huifcar’ (sorry don’t know the word in English for the car/pickup/ we were in. So if you know the word please let me know.

Luckely I had my iPhone to take some pictures and listen to Rodney Atkins, well some country when beeing in the countryside, otherwise I had given up or even not went on that trip. And if I knew it would take more than 2 hours, I refused. But I have to admit, kind of glad I did.

Going to end this here. Just had a great day, but the organization of this event could be so much effecient or better if they had a shorter trip planned for the horses in this heat. Just a trip through the park, through the village, arond the close fields etc. But not a trip to 2 things that are so far away from everything.

I’m also glad nothing changed at the organization, organizing is not their greatest (worked for them 10 years ago). 

THE DAYS AFTER

I had this huge autistic meltdown, I could get out of my bed for 3 days. I had to convince myself to go to work but it was a terrible day. BUT I stayed strong and stayed the whole work day.
The rest of the week I was feeling a bit down, not having energy, not having the feeling of doing something good, etc.

That’s why I’m writing this blog about May 27 now, and not last week. So sorry 😉

Hope you enjoyed some countylife here. OH  BTW we do have tractors here, and not only horses to do all the work :p

Love, Lucy xx